Zorn on Shaun Alexander's Work Ethic

"Repeating that '05 season would have been hard. And he just seemed to either not have the knack, or he seemed to take a view of, 'Hey, listen, when the hole's there, I'm going to run through, but if the hole's not there, you might as well go and call the next play.'

"Shaun didn't have a great work ethic in Seattle," Zorn added. "He didn't. He said he felt practice was for everybody else."

That's from today's profile of Alexander in The New York Times, although the quotes were actually delivered last week. Thinking practice was for everybody else? Getting called out by the head coach? Dude, get your own shtick.

The story's author, Greg Bishop, covered both Zorn and Alexander in Seattle, and so he obviously has some preexisting relationships to call on. In the piece, Alexander described the agonizing pain from the broken wrist he played with last year, saying "if you complain about it, you're not a team player. If you let it go, then they think either you don't care or something's wrong with you."

For all the hubbub when Alexander arrived, and despite the big N.Y. Times profile, his on-field presence has been far from notable. Also figure there would be some major eyebrow raising in the locker room if Ladell Betts didn't reclaim his former role. So even though Alexander is a great quote, and even though he seems awfully friendly, I figured his stay here would be remembered mostly for the advice he offers to Portis, although he seems to think otherwise. From the story:

"Really, it's just same old, same old. I go somewhere, there aren't high expectations, then I raise the bar. Usually, I graduate."

Even now, Alexander does not lack for confidence. The toothy grin remains, same as always, despite the fall and the boos and the harsh reality of the present. Asked for his plans should this stint with the Redskins end in the next few weeks, Alexander smiled wide.